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Diesels clean up their act, offer stellar fuel economy: More than 40 U.S.-spec diesel models may be available by 2016

December 17, 2012

Next year, Audi will offer six diesels on the A3 (pictured), A6, A7, A8, A5 and A7. Photo by Audi

Who would have thought it: After decades of resistance, Americans are starting to realize that today's smooth-running, fuel-efficient diesel cars bear little resemblance to the smelly, polluting slowpokes of old. According to recent sales information, clean diesel sales have jumped more than 25 percent so far in 2012. In October alone, they were up 21 percent over the same month a year earlier. CNW Research of Brandon, Ore., reports the number of consumers considering diesels rose from 13 percent in 2006 to 28 percent in 2011.

So what happened to the diesel? It's fair to say that it cleaned up its act. Since 2007, new diesels have had to run on ultra-low-sulfur fuel (ULSD). It's a dramatic environmental change. According to the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance, switching to ULSD will have the same effect as “removing the pollution from more than 90 percent of today's trucks and buses, when the current heavy-duty vehicle fleet has been completely replaced in 2030.”

Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, says that today's entries “meet the same stringent standards as hybrids or other passenger cars. There's no longer a question as to whether diesel is a clean technology.”

Americans are still a long way from European levels of diesel preference. Diesels, which benefit from lucrative subsidies in Europe, are so popular there that they're the “green” car of choice, which explains slow sales of expensive hybrids in Europe. In France and Ireland, diesels make up 60 to 70 percent of the auto fleet.

Diesels are relatively affordable in the U.S., even without subsidies. It's the fuel that remains an obstacle since it's generally more expensive than gasoline. Schaeffer says diesel is currently 17 cents more than premium unleaded, but, ironically, lower gasoline demand resulting from more efficient cars and more cautious driving habits has lowered prices.

The Energy Information Agency predicts a 3 percent decline in diesel prices next year, to $3.83 a gallon. That sounds good, but the same agency says this about gasoline: “The projection for the average retail price in 2013 is $3.44 per gallon.” In other words, a 40-cent-per-gallon gap will remain.

We have high hopes for the Chevrolet Cruze diesel, which will appear early next year as a 2014 model. GM hasn't released fuel economy figures yet, but it could offer as much as 50 mpg.

There may be as many as 41 U.S.-spec diesel models to choose from by calendar year 2016. Diesels we expect to see soon include a BMW two-liter four-cylinder and three-liter V6 within the next year, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel (2014). Next year, Audi will offer six diesels -- on the A3, A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7. The Cadillac ATS will be available as a diesel next year, and Mazda will introduce the Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel on the Mazda 6 sedan.